Blinding Light
by Dreams of Fantasia
Summary: I lived a fairly standard life at first, a normal kid in a normal quiet town. Yet everything changed the moment I saw that light. School bullies or mafiaso, I don't care; for that light to burn strong, I will do anything.
1. Chapter 1

My world was dark. There is no color, no light, just hazy shapes in shades of grey. That's how I navigated my life until I met him.

* * *

I can't recall the day, nor exactly when it was, but I do know what happened, even though it was a long time ago. I was wandering 'round the town -the babysitter my parents hired wasn't all that good- when I saw a brilliant orange eruption come from the backyard of one of the nearby houses. I didn't know what that orange was at that time but I knew that it was definitely unusual. I rushed over to the house, climbed it's fence- not really thinking about how that was probably illegal- and went into the backyard. The orange was so blinding that I couldn't tell what was causing it, all I knew was that it was on the ground and crying. It took longer than I'd like to admit for me to realize it was a human and, from the voice, couldn't have been more than a child. A bunch of adults had come running by then and were, logically, upset. I would be too if my child's crying could wake the dead and was radiating light. It took the oldest adult going over and doing something to seal the orange into a tiny ball inside the shining person to get the child to finally stop. I could tell then that the person was a boy, around my age awhich that time. The adults thought that I was the one who had caused, whatever that situation was, and were demanding for me to explain. I tried telling them what had happened, but none of them believed me. So, my parents were called up, I got scolded from both groups of adults even after they found out that I wan't guilty, my babysitter got fired, and I learned the orange boy's name was Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Ever since that day I've noticed the bo- Sawada's presence around more often. We went to the same elementary school, arrived at the same time and went in the same entrance but only greeted each other after that incident in his backyard. We were in the same class, though we sat at different tables and I only vaguely remember talking to him once. Heck, our houses were in a straight line from one another, though they were a few blocks away. I'm honestly amazed that I had never even seen the kid before then. Though, don't misunderstand, it wasn't like I had sought him out or something like that, he was the only one who'd I'd seen that had color like that. It's not hard to find a ball of bright orange in a sea of hazy blacks and grays, the fact that the brunette was- and still is, to be honest- a giant trouble magnet helped. The kid was a klutzy and a wimp, because of this Sawada was bullied by pretty much everyone he had ever met, even some he didn't. Even I had only recognized who he was after hearing his nickname 'Dame-Tsuna'. Everyone in our school had heard of useless Dame-Tsuna, never once had I heard of someone our age calling him Sawada or even Tsunayoshi. After a while I got upset at the treatment of the boy and decided to do something about it.

I protected the boy when he was getting beat up... and ultimately got beat up as well. In my defense they were like thirteen, what was a grade schooler with zero fighting experience supposed to do against that? Regardless, in the end I went home covered in bruises but earned some admiration from the kid. Oh, also my parents freaked out and demanded I learn self-defense, so I know started learning Aikido from that point on. The lessons helped a lot and I eventually became able to defend against the bullies/strong and fast enough to grab Sawada and book it if things turned south. Unknowingly that had appointed me as the kid's friend and guardian. It's not like I don't want to be but I'd still like to know before getting jumped by a bunch of bullies on a regular basis.

After a while Tsunayoshi wormed himself into my heart and I decided to stick around him. If only for the sake that he didn't get himself killed due to his own clumsiness or something similar.

* * *

"Tsunayoshi." I glanced down at the boy who had- at some point in time- taken residence at my table from over the edge of my book.

"Don't call me that." He demanded, or as well as he could, the kid wasn't intimidating in the slightest.

"Sawada-san, then." I suppose I was getting ahead of myself, calling him by his first name.

"Not that either!" I looked back at my book, it was about the greatest musicians of all time. It was pretty complex, though. It was draining just reading a chapter and I kept on losing my place.

"What then?"

"I don't know, but not Sawada and not Tsunayoshi." He's pouting, I don't need to see it to tell that he's pouting.

"Bob, then." The newly named Bob laughed.

"Not that either!"

"Then what do you want me to call you?"

"I don't know, it's up to you." I can feel him laying his head on the table, sadly. I reach out and stroke his head, still reading.

"What book are you even reading? It looks weird." Tsunayoshi looks at the page I was on.

"That's because it's in another language."

"Woah, you know other languages!"

"Ja aber nicht viel, sind ich Einige dieser Wörter wirklich wirklich Komplex, und ich kenne nicht was das Heck Sie meinen. So, schreibe ich Sie auf und übersetze Sie in Klasse, so aussehe ich dass, dass schenke ich Beachtung."

"So cool." I laugh at that. It's not that impressive when you hear it everyday.

"...What's it about?"

"Music."

"Oh."

"Bruno then."

"Eh?"

"It means protection or protector, since I seem to need to keep helping you and all." Also it means brown which is his hair and eye color.

"That would fit you better though." I notice he doesn't deny the fact though.

I have a few other suggestions, but each got shot down. Finally, I just threw out something stupid. "Tsutsu then."

Surprisingly there was no argument against this.

"Okay Tsutsu."

* * *

For as long as I could I clung to that monochromatic world. Even now I still reach out for that brilliant Light.

* * *

Note: Translation - Yeah a bit, some of the words are really really complex and I don't know what the heck they mean. So, I write down and translate them in class so I look like I'm paying attention. (Or at least that's what I hope it translates to, I'm still learning the language myself)

A.N.: I am alive! That's it for the first chapter! I've had this as an idea for a while and I've finally typed it out! I kind of sped through the main character and Tsuna's relationship so I might go back and add more at a later date. If you read If at First You Don't Succeed, that should be updating within the next couple of days, and if you don't you should go check it out. That's all for now, stay beautiful you beautiful people!


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.: I'm alive, so sorry for the wait. Thanks to AlexFanFictionLover, rosytheheal11, Indiglower, and Beezlebub-202 for favoriting and Tomokachan76, nhoxmeanhvan, fujiha3, bookimp, AlexFanFictionLover, Sakura702 rosytheheal11, Minh Thu Bui, and Reela7 for following.

Also, to answer nhoxmeanhvan's review, on the topic of romance, there will all kinds of ships but it will be far in the future, especially at the rate I write. As for ages the MC is older by Tsuna by about a month but Tsuna vehemently refuses to admit that someone like the MC is older than him.

* * *

I was content with that peaceful monochromatic world. The moment that really changed it... Well I guess it really started all the way back then, yeah?

* * *

It was 2nd grade, or, wait, was it 3rd? No it was 2nd, definitely 2nd, or was it? Regardless, I was young, or, well, _younger_. Dumb enough to do stupid things without thinking (though I'm sure if you asked the others they would say I haven't changed in that manner). It was a cold Spring day, I remember that. Tsu and I were running in our Winter uniforms from some bullies during recess and had split up trying to lose them in the halls. I searched around for him for nearly 10 minutes, not calling out in fear that those bullies would come back. After scouring the floors of whatever our grade was at the time, I had put together that either Tsu had left, or was hiding on the lower floors, where the upperclassmen were. The latter made more sense, after all he could get jumped on the way home and everyone avoided going to the lower floors during class time- for some reason.

Thus my mind was made up and I headed for the stairs. I had barely set foot on the upperclassmen's floor when I felt a wave of killing intent. I slowly backed my way up the stairs, not daring to go investigate, yet. The recess bell rung and I all but sprinted to class, after all, maybe Tsu was already back by then?

* * *

It took longer than I would like to admit for me to gather the courage to go to the upperclassmen's floor after that. But by the time I finally did, the odd presence wasn't there. It was lunch time, so maybe it was eating? A picture of a humongous beast hunched over, gnawing on a torn-up corpse entered my mind and the hallway felt much more claustrophobic than it did a minute before. Maybe I should come back later, I have plenty of chances to- too late. The indescribable pressure had returned, freezing me in place, but this time it was accompanied by the sound of footsteps and a voice.

"Herbivore." That single word was enough to send me flying down the halls, the monster hot on my trail.

I didn't notice that the class bell had rung until I had nearly ran face first into a group of upperclassmen. I stuttered out something unintelligible as I stumbled around them. I duck and weave my way through the oncoming students, hoping to lose the monster in the crowd, yet the moment the older students saw- whatever it is- they parted immediately. Thankfully the layout of the floors are pretty much the same all-throughout the school, so I know exactly where I _can_ lose the monster. I burst through a classroom, giving an apology as I hurry through the door on the other side of the room. The teacher yells after me but cuts off their own words in preference for a scream. There's the sound of bones cracking and whatever is chasing me clicks its tongue. "You're too loud." It says before continuing its chase. A fresh batch of fear and adrenaline washed away whatever tiredness I felt.

I ran through an empty hallway before arriving at what should've been the emergency stairs. I reach out for the handle but feel nothing. Did I make a wrong turn somewhere? I whipped around, back against the wall, waiting for the monster to leap out of the shadows and attack me. After a few minutes of tense silence I'm sure that I've lost whatever was after me and eventually stop shaking like a leaf in the autumn breeze. 'Speaking of which, why is it so cold in here.' I shiver, running my hands up and down my arms. I found that it was because of an open window not too far away and reach up to close it. But instead of feeling a cold sill, my fingers instead touch cold flesh.

"Found you, herbivore." I couldn't even scream before darkness enveloped me.

* * *

When I awaken I'm in the Nurse's Office, being shaken by Tsu, who's blubbering like an idiot. I make out something about 'not being there' and how 'I was so young'. While it was endearing at first, the noise soon became annoying so I bonked the boy on the head.

"I'm not dead, you know, stop crying."

"Bruno, you're alive!"

"That I am, did you bring me here?"

Tsu shook his head, wiping his tears on his sleeve. "S-someone found you unconscious in a hallway and b-brought you here, they s-said you were attacked by the D-demon of Namimori."

"Demon?! There's an actual demon here?!" That would explain why no one goes to the upperclassmen's floor during class, was I the only one not to know? I grabbed Tsu by the shoulders. "Look Tsutsu, don't go to the upperclassmen's floor without me, ok? I don't want you to get attacked too!"

"Ah, but, Bruno, the Demon isn't really a demon, it's a person." I blinked, was it? I never actually saw it, thinking back.

"Regardless, you can't go without me, ok?" Tsu nods and informs me that the school Nurse said that I could go as soon as I felt better so we walked home together.

I didn't see hide nor hair of the Demon after that, though that could easily be because I spent the next few months as a model student in fear of running into that monster again. Eventually, I forgot all about it and went on with my daily life.

It was early Fall, I remember that at least. Tsu had gotten sick so I decided to go to the roof to eat and avoid some bullies I had only semi-purposefully provoked earlier that day (how was I supposed to know the guy's mother was an actual prostitute?). Thus, I broke the lock to the roof, so anxious thinking about how I would make some daring escape if the bullies came that I completely ignored how _off_ the place felt. In fact I was so preoccupied that I didn't notice anything was wrong until I got onto the flat area above the entrance and decided to eat there. Yet when I took my seat, the ground was higher than it was supposed to be and felt oddly squishy. Immediately realizing what was happening, I rocket to my feet and frantically apologize.

The person growls threateningly, slowly rising to their feet and reach for something in their coat. He growls out a bone-chilling _Herbivore..._ and I hop off the outcrop, pivoting on my heel to make a mad dash for the door. It's pure instinct that causes me to jump away just before the Demon slams into the ground in front of the sole exit with a terrifying sound of stone being smashed. I stutter at the display of power but quickly regain my footing; it's a good thing I did because in the next moment he's on me.

I have no idea how I continue to barely dodge the rapid fire attacks sent at me as I back up, searching for some exit. Something seems to almost shine from within him, peeking from between his very muscles, highlighting them in a weak glow, whenever the Demon attacks the light flashes briefly and I use as a sign to dodge. It's likely only due to my plethora of experiences with running away that my body can keep up with these strange signs and only get slightly beaten instead of outright killed. My luck seems to run out as the cool metal of the roof's chain-link fence pokes through my shirt. I can feel the evil smirk that blooms across the Demon's face as we both realize it's the end of the line for me. He lashes out with his left arm which is completely consumed by light. Realizing that even if I dodged, there would be no escape, I instead try and put some of my minimum grade martial arts lessons to work. I tug the Demon's outstretched arm- and the rest of his body along with it- in my direction, yet angled away. For a second our faces are mere inches apart and I can make out the surprise in his shining eyes. "Beautiful." I say despite myself, catching the Demon off guard. I brace myself on the fence and draw my knee up with all I have. The attack thankfully works and the Demon backs up a few steps, regaining his breath. I decide to hop over the fence in that time, as it was unlikely I'd make it all the way to the door. As I finish lifting my legs over the fence rattles dangerously and I hop over the side, the Demon quickly following.

"Nowhere left to run, Herbivore."

"Hey, you never know." Worse come's to worse I could try swinging into a classroom like I see on TV, or at least aim for a tree, it would probably have a higher survival rate than staying.

The Demon scoffs and rushes forward. Still on the high of my last success, I react, sweeping his feet out and giving the Demon a hard shove. He stumbles, tripping on his own feet. My body is filled with pride but it's quickly replaced by a cold dread when I hear a short yell of surprise and the sound of wind whistling around a fallen object,

 _Oh no._

* * *

The fear that filled me wiped away any other thoughts, so I continued to think I was normal for quite a long while afterwards. Thinking back, I was a pretty dumb kid wasn't I?


End file.
